<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>petal fold by hydroknife</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24689428">petal fold</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hydroknife/pseuds/hydroknife'>hydroknife</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Persona 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Free Time Zine, Gen, Origami, bittersweet ending tone, just guys being dudes, mostly just them having fun and bonding, possibly inaccurate origami descriptions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:14:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24689428</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hydroknife/pseuds/hydroknife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>my entry for the Free Time persona zine!</p>
<p>yusuke convinces akira and akechi to make origami with him. chaos ensues.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akechi Goro &amp; Kitagawa Yusuke, Akechi Goro &amp; Kurusu Akira, Kitagawa Yusuke &amp; Kurusu Akira</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>petal fold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sound of folding and creasing paper is the only thing Akira can tell apart from the rain, roaring violently against the windows of Leblanc. Sojiro left him to tend to the nearly empty shop a little over 30 minutes ago, giving a leisurely wave as he mumbled something about needing more cigarettes and not to wait up for his return. That was easy enough; leaving Akira to clean up after the only customers left, an elderly couple tucked away into the corner booth. They aren’t too long, sipping the last bit of their beverages and holding leisurely conversation, and within ten minutes they are rising from the booth to leave. On their way out of the front door they pause to assess the sound of paper folding, only finding a slender teen with his nose mere centimeters from his work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yusuke had come in not too long after Sojiro had left, seating himself at a table and immediately throwing himself into a focused silence. Akira wasn’t a man of many words himself, and elected to let Yusuke do his thing while casting the occasional glance over the counter to observe his work. Every once in a while Yusuke pauses to stare at his piece, searching for any mistakes or more inspiration before delving back into his work. Each time, Akira pauses with him, eyes expectant behind the thick frames of his glasses as they take in the steadily growing piece. A paper lotus begins to slowly form on the table as Yusuke carefully folds, different shades of blue taking perfect shape before him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The curious eyes of his audience seemed to be pleased enough, one half of the couple nodding his approval as he passes, the other stopping to look closer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve got quite the piece going, my dear.” She croons, tone low as to not break the reverie Yusuke seemed to be entrapped in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although, it has the opposite effect. His eyes lift from his creation, brows climbing his forehead in return. Akira peeks around from the very back of the kitchen, tuning into their exchange. Yusuke seems to stumble over his words for a moment, finally recovering after he looks down to the lotus and then back to the woman before him. Nodding enthusiastically, his fingers give it a gentle turn around; a display of the effort he has put into it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think I may finish it off soon, after I put some more detail work on the innermost part.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes flit to Akira’s lingering form for the first time since he had arrived at Leblanc, causing a smile to tug at the corners of his mouth. The woman gives a chortle, hand pressed to her chest as she straightens up once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I wish you luck, then, but I don’t think you’ll need much of it.” She concludes, giving a final wave to the two boys as she exits with her company. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yusuke waves back and Akira inclines his head briefly as they leave, looking to each other after the door shuts behind the couple.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s sweet,” Akira mumbles, beginning to come around from his island of coffee, leaning on the opposite side of it to speak.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And correct. It’s really pretty so far.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The tell-tale sound of a customer arriving cuts through their conversation, the bell chiming as the front door opens once more. Akira turns to greet them, only to be met with a familiar deep bow and tan suit. When Akechi finally straightens up, he can see the damp hair plastered to his face. Yusuke makes an empathetic noise from behind him, beating Akira to the jump.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re drenched.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Akechi nods, giving another apologetic bow as water drips from the ends of his hair, his briefcase, his clothes. It isn’t much to clean up, Akira thinks, already making towards the attic to grab a towel and dig around for something dry for Akechi to wear. Leaving the other two behind, he climbs the staircase and listens in on their words as he grabs a clean sweatshirt and a towel.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It would be just my luck to get off the train, only for it to start pouring,” Akechi laughs, voice not as exasperated as one would assume he would be in this situation. Akira hears Yusuke hum a laugh, followed by a few light footsteps. With one last glance around his room, Akira goes to join the pair with items in hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Akechi is already attempting to peer down at Yusuke’s work; which the artist has finally gone back to. The detective keeps enough distance to avoid getting the paper wet from his hair, making an expression that gives away just how much interest he has in the project. His eyes gleam, the tell-tale look of someone who is about to launch themselves into an excitable conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Typical Akechi. Akira quietly makes his way down the stairs and behind the brunet, dropping the towel atop Akechi’s head and ruffling the fabric against his hair. He stumbles back a bit, caught off guard as his hands flail about until they connect with Akira’s arms. Batting his assailant away, his own hands reach up to do the job themselves. Akechi cuts Akira a look, more so of mild embarrassment than anything else. Yusuke mirrors his action, glancing between the two of them with an air of amusement. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He responds as Akira also hands him the sweatshirt, eyes roving the space for a place to change. Akira juts his head toward the attic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can change up there, if you want?”  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Akechi gazes at the stairs for a moment. He’s never been up there alone, it feels mildly invasive to him, but if it’s being offered...then there must be no harm involved. He gives a brisk nod, climbing the steps towards the attic, taking the top two in one go. It’s not particularly clean, actually a bit more lived in since the first time Akechi had joined the Thieves upstairs for their meetings. Knicknacks are starting to line the few shelves pushed against one wall, and Akechi even spots the tiny Phantom Thieves patch he had given to the leader as a joke a while back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even if he seems otherwise, Akira really was sentimental in the most detailed ways. He could take a magnifying glass to the boy’s actions and find some sort of emotional tie in anything he did, if he looks hard enough. Slipping his wet clothes off to replace them, Akechi ponders if everyone else sees the same in their leader, in their </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Dry sweatshirt finally being pulled over his head, Akechi deduces that they must in order to follow him like this. Akechi descends the stairs after another quick look around the room, and finds Yusuke animatedly explaining something to Akira, blue sheet of paper in hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, as soon as Yusuke notices his return, he’s roped into the lecture as well. Fingers beckon the detective closer, and he follows suit. Even when he had first entered the cafe, Akechi seemed to hold an interest in Yusuke’s origami, that interest rearing its head once more. Seating himself at Yusuke’s side, he resumes his inspection of the flower from earlier. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Could I try, if it’s not too much trouble?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Akechi’s head cocks to the side, throwing on his best pleading smile. Akira can be heard scoffing at the detective’s actions, but no matter how ridiculous he finds it, Yusuke immediately indulges him. Mission success.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A thin sheet of paper is slid in front of Akechi, as well as the unoccupied space next to him. Yusuke sits back down, hands folded as he waits for Akira to give in and take a seat. Both boys stare at him, unwavering, and Akira eventually slides into the remaining space. With everyone situated, Yusuke fishes a small book out of the bag he had brought with him. Small paper birds are displayed across the cover, quickly obscured when he lays it flat on the table. Yusuke flips through the pages until the same illustration from the cover reappears, and he slides the book closer to Akira and Akechi. They both lean over the pages at the same time, Akechi’s pointer finger sliding across the print as he reads the directions out loud. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It sounds simple enough!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Akira pulls a face, one of those ‘Well, if you say so’ types. That particular expression seems to come out frequently while in Akechi’s company, even though Akira fares well enough in their activity after the fact. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This activity, though, proves to be a struggle for him. While Akechi and Yusuke zip through several different figures, Akira lags behind. Soon a plethora of birds, dogs, and flowers are strewn across the table - Akechi lifts the wing of a red bird between two fingers, and discards it into Akira’s hair. It’s striking against the dark frizz that lays against his head and into his eyes, and Akira has half the mind to flick it out of the mess. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s a bit too slow, hand colliding with Yusuke’s as a blue flower is placed just above the bird. Stifled laughter is pressed into an elbow as Akechi tries to contain himself to his left, while Yusuke remains unashamed in the amusement he finds in the situation to his right. They make eye contact, and as if some sort of code had developed between the two…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chaos breaks loose. Paper is thrown from both sides, and Akira tries to deflect each one. But, a two front war is difficult to win. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’s pelted time and time again, only gaining the upper hand when he slips under the booth and comes out the other side - remnants of his opponents previous attacks scattered across the floor. Akira swiftly grabs them, and flicks two straight for Yusuke and Akechi’s foreheads in quick succession. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His aim is no joke, and they both connect with a soft thunk as Akira resigns himself to the floor. It seems a silent truce has been formed, the trio finally breaking into a chorus of laughter. Something in Akira’s chest tightens, seeing his company in high spirits - it feels like nothing can ruin this moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not even the familiar jingle that sounds as Sojiro returns, pausing in the doorway. His eyes freeze on the group of teens, from the floor to the booth where Akechi is doubled over in laughter. Yusuke covers his mouth with his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kids these days…” Boss sighs, the words lacking any amount of malice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just make sure you clean up after yourselves. I’m locking up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When the floor is spotless and his company finally shuffles out the door, Akira allows himself to collapse into his mattress, one final thought prancing across his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘If only this could last forever.’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i really really enjoyed writing this!! yusuke and akechi friendship 2k20 lets gooo. twt: @mlmbyleth.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>